Level Meter in Logic Pro for iPad

Level Meter shows the current signal level on a decibel scale.

Stereo Level Meter instances show independent left and right bars, whereas mono instances display a single bar.

To add Level Meter to your project, choose Metering > Level Meter in a channel strip Audio Effect plug-in menu or the Plug-ins area. See Intro to plug-ins. Also see Add, replace, reorder, and remove plug-ins in the Plug-ins area and Work with plug-ins in the Mixer.

Peak level values are displayed numerically and graphically. You can reset these values by tapping them in the display.

Level Meter parameters

Mode pop-up menu: Choose a display setting using Peak, RMS, Peak & RMS, True Peak, or True Peak & RMS characteristics.
- Peak: Displays the highest value of the individual samples in your signal, also referred to as Sample Peak. This is the same meter type used on channel strips.
- RMS (root mean square): Measures the average level of the signal. It provides an indication of the overall loudness, the way human hearing perceives sound.
- Peak & RMS: Displays two meter bars per channel, showing the Peak and RMS values.
- True Peak: Uses oversampling to detect peaks that occur between samples that can be higher than the sample peaks (also known as "Inter-sample Peaks").
- True Peak & RMS: Displays two meter bars per channel, showing the True Peak and RMS values.
Peak Hold display: At the top (or to the right) of the meter bars is a color-coded numeric display that shows the highest level for the selected Meter type (Peak, RMS, and True Peak). The values reset when you start playback or when you tap the numeric value.
Peak Hold line: A line segment is temporarily shown at the highest peak value. It is displayed for a second and slowly reduces. This temporary peak hold display is a visual aid designed to help you to monitor short peaks.
Level Meter(s): Displays the current signal level on a decibel scale. The signal level for each channel is represented by a green bar. Signals (above the target level) approaching the 0 dB level are represented by a yellow bar. When the level exceeds 0 dB, the portion of the bar above the 0 dB point turns red.

Choose a meter type

The section provides guidelines that may help you to choose a suitable meter type.

Human hearing is optimized for capturing continuous signals, making our ears RMS instruments, rather than peak reading instruments. Therefore, using RMS meters makes sense most of the time. Alternatively, you can use both RMS and Peak meters.

Use a Peak meter when recording (to avoid clipping of the input signal) or during mixing to monitor signal peaks.
Use a True Peak meter on your output channel strip to accurately measure the peak value when bouncing your mix (often required when delivering files to colleagues).
Use an RMS meter to get an indication of the perceived loudness of a track or the overall mix.
Use the separate Loudness Meter plug-in to measure audio based on loudness standards, which can be important for delivery of stems and other audio files to colleagues.

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Logic Pro User Guide for iPad

Level Meter in Logic Pro for iPad

Level Meter parameters

Choose a meter type